


Sentiment

by murdergatsby



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Crushes, Derek Hale Feels Guilty, Gen, Gun Violence (Mentions), Hurt Stiles, M/M, Prescribed Drug Use, Protective Derek, Protective Sheriff Stilinski, Sheriff Stilinski Finds Out About Derek/Stiles Relationship, Sheriff Stilinski Knows About Werewolves, Sheriff Stilinski is TRYING to like Derek Hale, Stiles Stilinski Likes Derek Hale, Stiles is a little loopy, or even trust him, unestablished relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-09
Updated: 2018-09-09
Packaged: 2019-07-08 15:33:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15933356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/murdergatsby/pseuds/murdergatsby
Summary: Stiles throws himself between Derek and a bullet, and winds up in the hospital. While in recovery, Sheriff Stilinski discusses Stiles' feelings with Derek.





	Sentiment

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cutepoison](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cutepoison/gifts).



> I started this with the intention of it being a warm-up drabble, thing. And then I just kept going. AS IS LIFE. I hope you enjoy.

The last thing Stiles saw before drifting into unconsciousness was the soft green of Derek’s eyes. The last thing he had felt was Derek’s hands on his shoulders, on his chest, on his face; _soft_ _presses_ , while Derek tried to decide on what to do. The last thing he heard was Derek telling him he was _going to be okay_. The last thing he said was “Always am.” with a smile.

Since then- since Stiles had leapt in front of Derek to protect him from a bullet- Derek had not left Stiles’ side for longer than he legally needed to. It had been just a  _ regular bullet _ , from a  _ regular man _ , who had caught Derek and Stiles in the wrong place at the wrong time. Had Derek been the one who was shot, he would have recovered already. He would be home, with the concept of the pain as a far memory. He was never in any danger- but Stiles didn’t think like that. In the panicked moment he had to consider what was happening around him, he had decided that Derek’s life was in need of saving; in a single moment, Stiles had chosen to put Derek’s life before his own.

Derek could kill him.

When Stiles’ eyes found Derek again, and when his brain fully understood the room he was in- bed he was in, gown he was wearing, and the grogginess that lived in his muscles- he smiled along with a deep sigh.

“Hey!” Stiles exclaimed. His eyes were dark, blown, and glossy with pain medication and waning anesthesia. His voice was rough. He said  _ “Hey!” _ as if he were surprised to see Derek; as if he hadn’t seen Derek in a long time, and just had  _ so much _ to tell him.

“Hey.” Derek replied- softly, sleepily. His hand had already found Stiles’ earlier in the night, holding it gently in the hopes that he would feel it tighten around him; in hopes that Stiles would let him know he was okay. Stiles’ hand remained limp, so it was Derek who tightened his grasp- instinctually- happy to see Stiles  _ was _ okay.

They shared a moment of warm smiles and longing silence, before Derek raised his free hand and flicked the heart of Stiles’ forehead. Stiles winced and groaned “ _ Ow. _ ”

“Don’t  _ ever _ do that again.” Derek growled.

“ _ Owww _ .”

“Did you just hit him?” Noah snapped, announcing his return to the room. He had been there all night, too. He gotten there as soon as he could, and kept eyes on Derek while waiting for any and all news about his son’s condition. He held a cup of what was presumed to be coffee, and now stared daggers into Derek with the intensity of a man who wished he could sleep. They were the only two that stayed all night, and Noah would have much rathered to be alone.

Derek released Stiles’ hand and sat bolt-upright. His eyes widened and his hands folded in his lap. He looked scolded.

“He saved you life.” Noah continued, speaking quickly and sharply over anything he thought Derek might try and blabber out to defend himself (something Derek wasn’t planning on doing). His eyes shifted to Stiles and, once he realized he was awake- really awake- his face cracked into a smile that felt like breaking.

“Hey, Stiles.” Noah said, exasperated. He swept himself further into the room and returned the chair on the opposite side of Stiles’ bed. “How are you feeling?” He put his cup down and moved like he wanted to touch Stiles, but stopped himself. He didn’t want to hurt him on accident.

Stiles shook his head, more hung up on how his father was being cross with Derek for flicking him than he was about seeing his father again. _It wasn’t even a proper_ _smack_. He thought. Stiles was fine as far as he was concerned. _He just flicked me._ The fact that he had been shot- the reality of that- had yet to settle in.

“No, Dad, it’s okay.” Stiles began to explain. His syllables were deeply slurred, and his tone felt as though he was unsure where he was going. “He’s right. It was stupid!”

“It  _ was _ stupid.” Derek interjected. He caught Noah’s eyebrows flicking up at him in judgment, but he had a point. He was getting to it. “But it was also very brave.” He continued. “You saved my life.”

Noah’s body language eased up a bit, but Derek could tell he wasn’t at all convinced of his sincerity. It had been like this  _ all night _ .

“No,” Stiles said, first turning to Derek and then back to his dad. “I didn’t.”

Both Noah and Derek sighed, and Stiles flopped a hand over in Derek’s face.

“Shh, it’s okay.” Stiles said, waving him off. “I’m just going to tell him.”

Noah raised his eyebrows again, but this time with only curiosity. “Tell him..?” He asked. His focus in the conversation bounced from the walls. He just wanted to hear his son say he was feeling  _ okay _ . He didn’t care about Derek.

“Dad,” Stiles said, first to Derek- with confusion- and then to his proper father. “Derek is a werewolf.”

Derek’s eyes widened again and looked up to, thankfully, catch Noah’s expression just as  _ what the fuck _ about Stiles’ sudden admission.

“A werewolf?” Noah repeated.

“Yeah.” Stiles said, much too simply.

The room filled with a reality-altering pause, allowing the chatter from the outside hall to filter in, and the beep of Stiles’ EKG to take over the room. Eventually, Stiles’ realized this was because he wasn’t being taken seriously. He shook his head in upset.

“No,  _ really _ .” He argued. “Derek-” He said, pausing, thinking, and getting lost in his own head. It only took Derek a second to realize that he was counting, after catching Stiles’ lips move around Cora’s name.

“All the Hale’s are.” Stiles decided to say. “Scott, too!”

“Scott’s a werewolf?” Noah repeated, again, perhaps praying for a different explanation to Stiles’ definition of the word  _ werewolf _ .

“Yes!” Stiles exclaimed. He sounded excited, as if he felt he had finally gotten through to his father. “ _ Yes _ . Derek, and Peter, and- like- half the lacrosse team. I’ve wanted to tell you for  _ so _ long, I just-”

Again, Stiles waved his hand in Derek’s face. This time it felt as if he wanted Derek to take over and explain things for him. Derek wasn’t willing to do that and just sat quietly, dodging Stiles fingers.

“I didn’t know  _ how _ .” Stiles continued. “There’s not a wikihow on werewolves and telling your dad about werewolves.”

Noah’s eyes moved from Stiles, to Derek, to Stiles, to Derek; Confused, until the exact moment he remembered what was important.  _ Hallucinating or not _ , Stiles wouldn’t be rambling like this if he wasn’t feeling at least a  _ little _ okay.  _ Stiles was going to be okay.  _ The doctors and nurses that had been telling Noah that all night had been right.

“Certainly not if you look it up like that.” Noah said, deciding to just let this conversation come to a close. It didn’t matter.

Stiles smiled, and hummed with a sense of pride. He closed his eyes and let his head fall back into the single pillow on his bed. He placed his arm back to where it had been before Noah rejoined them, and made a demanding grabby motion with it. Both Noah and Derek saw it, and chose to ignore it.

“Do you know what he’s trying to tell me?” Noah asked Derek.

Derek shook his head. “I honestly don’t.”

Noah hummed to himself, similarly to the way Stiles had. Derek could tell he was trying to decode the term in his head- thinking that, maybe, it was a slang term he’d yet to pick up on. Derek wished he could convince himself it would be wise to just  _ tell him _ . He already had so much to worry about; there was no good to come of him knowing how deeply invested his  _ very human _ son was in the supernatural.

“But, it doesn’t matter.” Derek decided to add. “Even if I was a werewolf, Stiles- It was brave.” He turned his attention back to Stiles’ face to catch him opening his eyes again. He held that same soft expression from before, when he was just barely back in the room with them. Derek knew he didn’t  _ do this _ just to hear about how heroic he was, but he could feel how much it meant to him to hear Derek say that about him.

“The sentiment is brave.” Derek continued. Cautiously, he brought his hand back up to the bed and took Stiles’ empty hand. “Just, don’t ever do it again.”

“There better not be an  _ again _ .” Noah snapped. Derek could feel Noah looking at the points where his and Stiles’ fingers naturally threaded together, but he was careful not to look and acknowledge it. Stiles wanted to hold his hand, so he was going to hold his hand.

“There won’t be, if I can help it.” Derek agreed.

“You guys are bonding.” Stiles mumbled. He lifted Derek’s hand up with his own, making it much more obvious that he was holding hands with Derek- just in case there was any chance that Noah thought otherwise- and admired it. “That’s nice.”

Noah shook his head and let it hang between his shoulders. Derek worried, until Noah lifted his head back up to reveal a tired smile. He shook his head at his son, and humorously rolled his eyes.

“You should get some rest.” Noah advised.

“Okay.” Stiles said, nodding. He put his hand back down on the sorry-excuse for a mattress, and gently wiggled himself into some comfort. He didn’t let go of Derek’s hand, so Derek didn’t let go of his.

Noah stood and started to move towards the door. He paused when he realized Derek wasn’t moving with him. He waited until Derek noticed him staring.

“ _ We _ should let him get some rest.” Noah said, rephrasing his original statement.

Derek’s made a small “O” with his mouth and nodded. He took his hand from Stiles, and Stiles moved his hand onto his own belly. He seemed unphased. He seemed mostly asleep. Noah didn’t start walking again until Derek had gathered all of his things, and had made his own way past him.

Noah almost let him go but a nagging voice in the back of his head made him call back for his attention before he disappeared down the hall. He had things he needed to say.

“Derek?”

Derek turned back to face Noah, and Noah walked up to meet him. He wasn’t taller than Derek but Derek  _ felt _ that he was, with the way he was looking at him.

“I don’t know what’s going on with you and my son-” Noah began.

Derek tensed, and slowly blinked. “Nothing is going on with me and your son.” He clarified. That was honest. Stiles was just a kid that had wandered into Derek’s life, because he couldn’t leave well enough alone. A  _ brave _ kid, who would have jumped in the way of that bullet for dozens of people.

Noah immediately raised a hand to Derek’s face, signalling for him to stop. The confidence- Derek understood- was something that had rubbed off on Stiles.

“Let me finish.” Noah commanded.

Derek respectfully nodded in reply.

“I don’t know what’s going on with you and my son, but I know he likes you.” Noah said. He watched Derek’s expression soften around the statement, and watched his eyebrows knit as his mind worked to find flaw in it. 

“He likes you.” Noah repeated.  _ There’s no way he doesn’t know _ . “Are you going to be responsible with that?”

It took Derek a moment to break down all that had just been said, and all Noah was asking of him. Once he understood, the answer was easy.

“Yeah.” Derek said. “Of course.” The concept of intentionally hurting Stiles, or taking advantage of his open heart in the way that Noah was implying  _ he might _ gave him no splinter of interest. He would  _ never _ .

“He’s too young to be taking bullets.” Noah gasped, suddenly. For the first time that night Derek heard the telltale crack in his tone that forewarned a sob. Noah’s eyes grew glossy, and his cheeks turned pink, as he fought off his want to cry.

“Mr. Stilinski-” Derek began, suddenly desperate to take away the fear Noah was finally letting himself feel. He had been holding himself together in the anger he felt towards Derek, because Derek had  _ let this happen _ . Now that Stiles was okay, and Derek was leaving, all those feeling wanted to to consume him.  

“Sheriff.” Noah corrected, then shook his head at the ground as if he found himself to be ridiculous. “ _ Noah. _ ” He corrected, again.

Despite the permission to use his first name, Derek continued on with a “ _ Sheriff Stilinski _ ,” and waited for Noah to look him in the eye. “I promise I’ll do everything in my power to keep this from  _ ever _ happening again.” He explained. “I don’t benefit from this.”

Noah pondered this. He traced the tops of his teeth with the tip of his tongue, and made a popping sound over one of his canines. “You swear?” He asked, frowning. His expression was sinister, but the place it found its roots was  _ protective _ . He was just scared _.  _ Bad things happened to Hale’s, and bad things happened to  _ Stiles _ . He knew he couldn’t protect him from everything, forever, but he didn’t trust in Derek’s ability too either.  _ Clearly _ . The of them being around each other couldn’t possibly be a good thing.

“On my life.” Derek replied.

“On  _ his _ .” Noah corrected. “ _ That’s _ what we’re talking about, here.”

“I didn’t expect him to do this for me.” Derek argued- with his tone climbing to what could be considered a yell- before realizing that his innocence didn’t matter. “But, I should have.” He added, speaking softer this time. “I know I’m not the only person he would have done this for.”

Noah’s eyes fell again, finding a void just beyond Derek’s shape to get lost in.

“He’s a very selfless young man.” Derek added, bringing Noah’s focus back.

“Yeah,” Noah agreed, drly. “He’s stupid.”

Derek nodded. “He’s brilliant, actually.”

Noah shrugged and looked back to the room Stiles was staying in. He was sleeping, with his head back and mouth open. “You can be both.” He observed.

_ “Yeah.” _

The two men again shared an unsettling pause that consumed and deafened them with background chit-chat. This time Stiles wasn’t around to playfully break it, so Noah did the honors.

“It would mean a lot to me if you went home.” He admitted.

Derek looked immediately hurt-  _ hit _ , even- but understood. He bowed his head and moved to excuse himself. “Goodnight, Sheriff.” He all but whispered as he passed him by.

“Goodnight, Derek.” Noah responded. “I’ll,” The sound escaped him as if it were accidental. Derek  _ almost _ didn’t stop to see what else he wanted to say.

Noah looked at Derek, looking at him, and sighed. “I’ll,” He started again, “keep you updated.”

Noah sounded like he hated it. He sounded like the very concept of Derek knowing about Stiles’ health left a bad taste to his mouth. However, the way Derek perked up around the suggestion- much to his dismay- softened him.

“Thank you.” Derek said.

“Yeah.” Noah replied. He nodded as if he didn’t think of it as a big deal.

Derek waited another couple beats, allowing Noah time to say more if he wanted to. When he didn’t turn to acknowledge him again, he officially excused himself from the hospital. He could still hear Stiles’ heart beating just fine if he waited in the parking lot.


End file.
